1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an endoscopy system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the implementation of methods in conventional endoscopy and in capsule endoscopy it may occur that, due to the position of the patient, intestinal loops lie in an intestinal section such that obstacles arise that cannot be surmounted or can be surmounted only with great difficulty by the endoscope or by the endoscopy capsule. Among such obstacles are, for example, kinks of the intestine, very narrow curves or the compression of intestine portions caused by organs (for example other intestinal loops) pressing thereupon.
Furthermore, given a recumbent position of the patient an intestine section can extend in the vertical direction. This position of the intestine section represents a “gravitational blockage” both for a conventional endoscope and for an endoscopy capsule since, in addition to the friction resistance of the endoscope or the endoscopy capsule in the intestine, the weight of the endoscope or of the endoscopy capsule must be overcome.
The aforementioned problems occur particularly in endoscopy with magnetically navigable endoscopy capsules (endo-robots) wherein only slight forces are exerted on the endoscopy capsule by an externally generated magnetic field.
A system for endoscopic observation of the body is known from DE 4313843 A1. This system has a coil device for generation of two homogeneous magnetic fields standing at an angle to one another and an endoscopic magnetic capsule on which a force is exerted due to the external magnetic fields. In order to enable locomotion of the endoscopic probe in the body due to the homogeneous magnetic fields, a relative movement of body and probe is needed. The movement of the body is achieved by a patient bed that can be shifted in the height, length and transverse directions and can be displaced around its longitudinal axis. The magnet system itself can additionally be moved relative to the body. The measures described here are intended to obtain a force acting on the endoscopy probe and thus to achieve a linear locomotion.
An endoscopy system in which a magnetic endoscopy capsule can be navigated in a hollow organ of a patient is described in US 2004/0181127. For this purpose, a magnetic field is generated by an external magnet system only at a point fixed relative to the magnet system. The movement of the endo-robot ensues exclusively via displacement and tilting of the patient bed. The navigation of the endo-robot is thus not always possible with the desired or required precision.
An endo-robot (magnetically navigable endoscopy capsule) with which minimally-invasive diagnoses and procedures can be implemented inside the body of a patient is known via DE 101 42 253 C1. The endo-robot has a bearing head in which measurement instruments and/or sample extraction and/or treatment instruments are integrated. The endo-robot furthermore has a linear magnet that is arranged collinear with the longitudinal axis of the endo-robot. The endo-robot is navigable via remote control by a magnet system acquiring the examination region of the patient, which magnet system generates a 3D gradient field.
A wireless endoscopy apparatus in the form of a swallowable capsule is disclosed in DE 103 17 368 B4, which capsule likewise has a permanent magnet that is installed along an established longitudinal axis. The endoscopy apparatus can be aligned from the outside via an externally applied magnetic field. The locomotion of the capsule through the digestive tract ensues via the peristaltic movements of the stomach-intestine musculature. A dye stored in a dye reservoir can be introduced in the tissue of the digestive tract via an outlet aperture connected with the ink reservoir.
A device for examination of a contrast agent progression in the body of a patient due to gravitation is known from DE 100 03 726 A1. The device includes an MR scanner with a patient positioning system that enables an angled positioning of the patient.
The prior art devices rely on the assumption that locomotion (possibly supported by a magnetic field) of an endoscopy capsule in the body is possible without further measures. Problems of the aforementioned prior art (namely to react to obstacles, curves, incidental organ positions) are not addressed. No information is provided regarding how these problems would be solved (automatically, if possible).